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MINNEAPOLIS - Jeremy Affeldt gave the Kansas City Royals a lift when they needed it most.
Affeldt struck out a career-high eight and Carlos Beltran homered as the Royals beat the Twins 3-2 Monday night in the opener of a four-game series between the top teams in the Central.
The first-place Royals improved to 17-3 against division opponents and 3-0, all one-run wins, against the Twins. Kansas City is 31/2 games ahead of Minnesota.
"Last year we had good battles with them," Affeldt said. "We knew coming in that all four games are going to be battles."
Affeldt pitched six innings, his longest outing of the season, giving up two runs and seven hits. He struck out Jacque Jones three times.
"He came with it tonight," Minnesota's Torii Hunter said. "He was throwing some gas. He did his job getting the lefties, and some of the righties, too."
Affeldt, making his second start since returning from the disabled list with a blister on his left hand, provided a big boost for a staff that had a 5.96 ERA in its past 16 games.
"He's got the ability to be a 20-game winner in the big leagues," Royals manager Tony Pena said. "The more time we give him to develop, the better he will get."
Jason Grimsley pitched two innings of scoreless relief, and rookie Mike MacDougal got three outs for his league-leading 11th save in 13 chances.
Raul Ibanez hit a two-run single in the first inning. Beltran homered in the fifth and finished with three hits.
Hunter homered for the Twins, and Matthew LeCroy had a run-scoring double.
Joe Mays gave up six hits in seven innings, but control problems cost him in the first.
Mays went to three balls on four consecutive hitters and didn't retire any. After loading the bases with two walks and a single, he gave up a two-run single to Ibanez.
ASTROS 9, PIRATES 4: Lance Berkman hit one of Houston's three homers and drove in three, and the Astros bullpen again bailed out an ineffective starter.
Pittsburgh, which trailed 3-2 until the eighth, stranded 12 through six innings and 14 overall and was 1-for-17 with runners in scoring position in its ninth loss in 10 games. The Pirates have lost eight of nine at PNC Park.
Jeff Kent and Morgan Ensberg also homered for the Astros, who have won five straight against Pittsburgh in eight days and nine in a row dating to last season.
A misty rain fell most of the night as temperatures dropped into the 40s. The announced crowd of 9,095 was the Pirates' first in four figures since PNC Park opened in 2001, and the actual turnout was a few thousand.
Scott Linebrink, struggling with his control from the start, became the second Houston starter in two days to be lifted with a multirun lead before lasting the five innings required for the victory.
BRAVES 11, DODGERS 4: Javy Lopez hit a three-run homer and Gary Sheffield added a two-run double as visiting Atlanta scored seven in the ninth.
Vinny Castilla also homered for the East-leading Braves, who have won 22 of 26 after a 4-8 start. Los Angeles is one game over .500 despite entering with the best ERA in the majors.
Marcus Giles broke a tie at 4 with a run-scoring single up the middle off Dodgers closer Eric Gagne that drove in Castilla. Sheffield then chased Gagne, who came on to start the ninth, with his double over the head of leftfielder Brian Jordan.
EXPOS 4, GIANTS 3: Jose Vidro hit a three-run double in the seventh and visiting Montreal handed Damian Moss his first loss.
Rich Aurilia and Barry Bonds hit consecutive doubles in the ninth to cut it to 4-3, but Rocky Biddle struck out Jose Cruz and Benito Santiago to end it.
CUBS 11, BREWERS 5: Moises Alou and Mark Grudzielanek each had four of visiting Chicago's season-high 19 hits. Mark Prior struck out 11 in six innings. Alou, Damian Miller and Troy O'Leary homered for the Cubs, who have not had trouble scoring without injured slugger Sammy Sosa.
MARLINS 6, PADRES 1: Ivan Rodriguez hit a two-run homer and Todd Hollandsworth added a two-run double as visiting Florida made Jack McKeon 2-0 as manager. McKeon, 72, was hired Sunday after Jeff Torborg was fired. San Diego has the league's worst record after losing 13 of 15.
METS 9, ROCKIES 6: Cliff Floyd homered and drove in four and former Rays pitcher Steve Trachsel won for the first time in eight starts as New York won its sixth in 17 road games.